Home  ·   News  ·   Weather  ·   Sports  ·   Jobs  ·   Community  ·   Pics N Videos  ·   Station  ·   Marketplace  ·   6 on Your Side  ·   Contests  ·   Get Connected  ·   Blogs
Health Check · Lottery · DTV · Seasonal · Mom to Mom · Traffic · The Omaha Buzz · CityCAMS · My Weather · School Closings · HS Cribs · Restaurants · McKnight Investigates
DTV news, with your converter box scan for digital channels. You may need to move the box around the room or get an antenna. Be prepared for the Feb 17 digital transition! Click here for more info.
WOWT.com on Demand
6 On Your Cell
News, Sports & Weather
Information On Your Cell
Text ALERTS
Breaking News Alerts
Direct to Your Cell Phone
Daily e-News
News & Weather Updates
delivered via email
You Cast
Submit Your Pics
and Video
What's on 6
Your Guide to NBC
& WOWT Programming
California Boy Last Teen Safe Haven Case Save Email Print
Dropped off by mom in Kimball hours before age limit took effect
Posted: 5:40 PM Nov 22, 2008
 Last Updated: 7:55 PM Nov 22, 2008
 Reporter: Bryan Latham
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com
13 comments
A | A | A

A 14-year-old California boy abandoned by his mother at a Kimball, Nebraska hospital Friday afternoon was the last teen to be legally abandoned under Nebraska's Safe Haven Law. As of 12:01 a.m. Saturday, there is now a 30-day-old age limit.

Todd Landry, director of the Division of Children and Family Services for the Department of Health and Human Services, said there was only one use of Nebraska’s Safe Haven Law on Friday, the last day on which it applied to children up to age 18.

The boy was driven to Nebraska from Yolo County, California and is currently in a foster home. DHHS is in the process of gathering additional information, including contacting the appropriate agencies in California.

This brings the total number of uses of LB 157 to 27 and the total number of children left at hospitals to 36 since September 13th. LB 157 went into effect on July 18th.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed an amendment to the law on Friday after lawmakers met in special session and voted for the 30-day-old age limit.
More Stories
Double-Murder Suspect Arrested At Boys Town

Infant Seriously Hurt, Father Arrested

Welch Out of the Mayor's Race

Bill Would Make Lethal Injection Execution Choice for NE

 Crews Respond to Apartment Fire in Bellevue

Burglaries & Break-Ins

Shooting Details Scarce

Analysts: State's Economy Looks "Grim."
Post Your Comments
First Name:
Location:
Enter Comments: characters left
Email (optional):
Email will not be displayed on site. For station contact purpose only.
Read Comments
Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 24, 2008 at 02:12 PM
Now if only states would stop cutting back on mental health help for those who need it. Those states that do have help available get the mentally ill dumped on them so that the states that don't want to pay for it don't have to pay for it, which raises the costs for the states that are getting dumped on. Pretty slimy way to cut back on costs by states if you ask me. And those people who don't get dumped on other states get dumped out into the streets by states that close down mental facilities to cut costs. When we do finally start helping the mentally troubled again, let's make sure that they are Nebraska residents.
Posted by: LLR on Nov 23, 2008 at 07:39 PM
I honestly thought she took off from CA as soon as Heinemann signed the law. Looks like she barely made it to the Nebraska border as it was. As far as the 5 year old who was sociopathic; sorry, there's no cure for that. Back in the day you could commit someone like that for life to an institution. Unfortunately now, they think they can rehabilitate them. No, you CAN'T, and sociopaths can be diagnosed as early as 5 years old. And there is no help.
Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 23, 2008 at 04:57 PM
What does SS and Congress have to do with a poorly written safe haven law? There are other avenues available for dealing with troubled teens.
Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 23, 2008 at 03:53 PM
I seen on 20/20 about some of the children that were left at the hospitals here and I can see why they were. This one boy was very cruel, angry and violent. What are parents going to do now with these children? That 14 year old boy from CA must of been a very horrible child to drive all that way.
Posted by: Kay on Nov 23, 2008 at 01:10 PM
I'm curious to know if the state of NE will be sending the child back to CA as they did with the boy from GA? I just wish people knew there are more appropriate ways to get help for a child than abandonment.
Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 23, 2008 at 12:20 PM
k... OUR is the keyword in your statment. People from other states should let their state deal with their problem teen. Let Nebraska take cate of its own problem teens. Just because we had a loophole in our law, does not mean that we should keep on taking everyone elses unwanted/unmanagable children.
Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 23, 2008 at 08:51 AM
HOLD ON EVERYONE! I understand the safe haven law was started for a reason. Yes it has gone too far. There should have been limits on this safe haven law in the first place before people with children they couldn't handle was dropped off in Nebraska. Now, what is going to happen next? Maybe all of us should really think about the law and what it all now involves before anyone tries to take advantage of the state system. People do it all of the time but now there are safeguards in place. That should have been done long before now. It would cutdown on a lot of paperwork with the Department of Human Services. Everyone just needs to calm down and write something more positive on this site instead of calling people names and putting other people down. Get all the facts before you start a bunch of mud slinging.
Posted by: Shame on you on Nov 23, 2008 at 08:16 AM
sorry kids... if you're 2 months old, you're doomed...
Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 22, 2008 at 03:26 PM
Boy I'm glad she squeeked her child in. I hope the drive was worth it. Wonder where she told him they were going all that way.
Posted by: Dave on Nov 22, 2008 at 01:13 PM
What a loser!
Posted by: k on Nov 22, 2008 at 12:38 PM
What now Nebraska. Are we going to say that if your over thirty days old, we don't care. We're just going to throw you out to the wolves. We should have kept it the way is was. Our children are our future. And to all the Congressman out there, our children are going to be the ones that pays your SS out to you. And then when it's there turn to retire, there will not be any SS benefits left. I'm very dissappointed in your decision.
Posted by: Long Drive on Nov 22, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Yolo County? That's Sacramento! Helluva long drive to throw away your kid.
Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 22, 2008 at 12:25 PM
im sick of hearing about every single child that has been dropped off at a hospital. ITS NOT NEWS ANYMORE!
AP Online Network
YOU CAST - YOUR PICS N VIDEOS
Media Partners
 
Home - News - Weather - Sports - Jobs - Community - Pics N Videos - Station - Marketplace - 6 on Your Side - Contests - Get Connected - Blogs -
Health Check - Lottery - DTV - Seasonal - Mom to Mom - Traffic - The Omaha Buzz - CityCAMS - My Weather - School Closings - HS Cribs - Restaurants - McKnight Investigates -
Terms of Use - Privacy Policy - EEO Statement - FCC Form 388
Gray Television, Inc. - Copyright © 2002-2009 - Designed and Powered by Clickability